


Domesticity

by bananaquit



Category: Dead Poets Society (1989)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Neil Perry Lives, anderperry, keating is mentioned, neil is alive and an actor, rated t for a vaguely suggestive bit at the end
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-22
Updated: 2018-01-22
Packaged: 2019-03-07 22:54:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13445118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bananaquit/pseuds/bananaquit
Summary: Neil grabbed the comforter and suddenly jumped off the bed, pulling all the blankets off of Todd before he could stop him. Todd whined and curled in on himself, a baggy white t-shirt and boxers now his only warmth.“What the hell was that for?” Todd complained.“For sticking to routine! Domesticity is for cowards.”





	Domesticity

**Author's Note:**

> for an anon on tumblr who sent in a prompt for domestic anderperry

Todd opened his eyes as the first morning sunlight peeked through the shutters. He rolled over to face Neil as he felt his boyfriend shift on the bed next to him. Neil, who had a messy but adorable bedhead, let out a cute little groan as he woke up and blinked the sleep from his eyes. Todd couldn’t help but let out a giggle at the sound.  
  
“What?” Neil asked drowsily yet indignantly.  
  
“You’re so cute.” Todd whispered, placing a finger under Neil’s chin and using it to tilt his head upwards. Todd kissed him and Neil smiled, visibly blushing. He propped himself up on an elbow and let out a breath.  
  
“What do you want for breakfast?” Neil asked.  
  
“Can you make scrambled eggs?” Todd asked, rubbing his eyes as he reluctantly sat up.  
  
“Again? I’ve made them three times in a row.” Neil said, sparkles of amusement dancing in his tired but content gaze. “Don’t you want a little variety in your diet?”  
  
“Just shut up and make the eggs, alright? I’m too tired to argue with you.”  
  
Neil’s smile stretched into a shit-eating grin. “No.”

“ _Neil…_ ”

Neil grabbed the comforter and suddenly jumped off the bed, pulling all the blankets off of Todd before he could stop him. Todd whined and curled in on himself, a baggy white t-shirt and boxers now his only warmth.  
  
“What the hell was that for?” Todd complained.  
  
“For sticking to routine! Domesticity is for cowards.”

 _You sound like Keating_ , Todd thought, but he didn’t say it aloud. “Have you ever considered domesticity might be _nice?_ ”

“Nope!” Neil piped, unbuttoning his flannel top. He took it off and tossed it on top of Todd. “Here. Meet me in the kitchen, I’m making sausages.” With that, he turned and walked out of the room.  
  
Todd sighed. Neil couldn’t be tamed, no matter how long they lived together. He was always looking for new ways to make things exciting, to break away from the everyday. Todd tugged on the green pajama top over his t-shirt and heaved himself out of bed. He took a moment to stretch and to smell Neil’s lingering scent on the fabric before lazily wandering after Neil into the kitchen. Neil was already sizzling sausages in a pan on the oven, humming to himself. Todd walked up behind him and wrapped his arms around him, leaning his head on Neil’s bare shoulder.

“You’re unbelievable.” Todd murmured, pressing his lips against Neil’s neck.

“You’d be a shut-in if I weren’t here.” Neil countered. Todd pulled away suddenly. “Todd?” Neil spoke, his confidence suddenly vanishing.

“I’m going back to bed.” Todd grumbled, turning back to the bedroom.

Neil left the food behind to run after him, grabbing his shoulder and spinning him around to face him. “Hey. What’s on your mind?” he asked softly.  
  
“Doesn’t matter.” Todd murmured.  
  
“Yes, it does! Everything you say matters.”

Todd let out a sigh. “Listen, Neil… I love you for who you are, but sometimes I just… I just want to have a day where we just relax, where there’s no surprises or excitement. I get kind of frustrated. I-I don’t want to make you feel bad, I just- I’ve never been able to live as fast as you.” Todd let out a breathy laugh. “I know you think it’s your job to make my life exciting and make sure I make the most of it, but it’s not. You’re quirky and energetic and I love that about you, but sometimes I need a break.”

Neil smiled his signature fake smile and let out a breath. “I just want to be the best I can be, you know?” he said, tears starting to gather at the corners of his eyes. “I want to make sure I live up to what Keating stood for.” Keating had died of leukemia years ago, of course, but it was still hard not to think about him for both of them. He was the father they never had, the one who gave them the mindset they needed to create the life they had now.

Todd pulled Neil into a hug. “It’s okay to slow down every once in a while. You don’t have to spend every second of every day doing something amazing, proving yourself. You have the right to simply exist, and taking time to do that doesn’t make you worthless.” Todd pulled back to look Neil in the eyes. “You’re just as valuable when you’re up on stage as you are now. You spend plenty of time seizing the day already. We don’t always have to be _doing_ , sometimes we can just _be_ .” Todd put a hand on the side of Neil’s face and smiled sadly. “You don’t have to act for me, darling.” he said, stroking his cheek with his thumb. “I don’t think Keating would have wanted you to carpe diem yourself to death.”

They both let out a chuckle. “I’m sorry.” Neil spoke. “It was stupid to think you’d enjoy being practically pulled out of bed. I just want to make you happy.”  

Todd pulled his face closer. “It’s alright. You already do.” Todd gave him a long, soft kiss, then another, this one deeper, open-mouthed. They stood suspended in that moment for a while, tongues exploring each other’s mouths, hands on hips and necks and sides. Eventually, a strange smell brought them back to reality.

“Is something burning?” Todd asked.

“ _Shit!_ ” Neil ran to the stove and turned it off, fanning away smoke. “Well, guess it’s eggs after all.” he laughed, dumping the burned sausages in the garbage.  
  
“ _Or_ we could go back to bed for a while,” Todd suggested.

“Oh?” Neil replied, raising a brow suggestively.  
  
Todd laughed and took his hand to lead him back to the bedroom. “Then eggs.”  
  
Neil laughed along with him. “Yeah. Then eggs for sure.”


End file.
